Define "graduation"

[nomnom]

What is considered "graduation" from the RE's office? My RE wants me to move most of my care to an OB, but they're still watching after my hormone supplements until they wean me off of estrace around 13 weeks and PIO around 15 weeks.

Also, how late will you be (or were you) on estrogen and progesterone supplements? 13 and 15 weeks sounds really late to me.

[Smootiepie]

I "graduate" at 10 wks. Up until then, my RE sees me every 2 weeks. After that, they will not see me at all.

I'm on supps through the 10 wks, probably because that's when the RE releases me.

FWIW, I think I've heard others mention 12 wks for the supps, so I was slightly caught off guard when I found out my clinic stops at 10 wks (even though it's only 2 wks different). You better believe the first thing I ask my OB will be whether or not she thinks I should be on them any longer.

[nomnom]

Smootiepie I see my RE only sparingly because I live 3-3.5 hours away from him. My monitoring is done locally and faxed to his office. Kind of a strange arrangement, I guess.

[IFinTN]

Feb 6, 2015 17:41:56 GMT -5 nomnom said:

Smootiepie I see my RE only sparingly because I live 3-3.5 hours away from him. My monitoring is done locally and faxed to his office. Kind of a strange arrangement, I guess.

Not all that strange...my RE is 2000 miles away:)

My RE kept me on weekly progesterone and estrogen monitoring weaning me off all meds by 14 weeks. I saw my OB for the first time at 9 weeks.

There's a big variance in how long REs prescribe progesterone support. Anywhere from 8-16 weeks from what I have seen.

[ProfessorChaos]

Interesting. My RE told me at nine weeks I could quit my meds and to call them when I was ready for another kid. I talked with my OB and stayed on the PIO until it was clear that my placenta had taken over.

[hbanana18]

My RE released me after confirming HB at 6 1/2 weeks. He told me to finish the crinone I had (which would have put me at 8ish weeks). I still had a refill on the scrip and asked my OB and she said if I was more comfortable, stay on until 10w. I had my first OB spot around 9 weeks.

[vballbaby]

I believe mine is 10 weeks and my paperwork says that I'll be on estrace and crinone until 8 weeks. My OB is right across the hall from the RE which is kind of nice.

[nutmeg8484]

I was released from my RE at 7 weeks after my ultrasound and had my first OB appointment at 8 weeks.
I stopped my vivelle patch after my 2nd beta and PIO at 10 weeks with no followup monitoring. I'm sure that if I bled after I would have had extra testing but everything went fine.

[runawaylaurel]

I stopped seeing my RE after a second ultrasound at 8 weeks. I stopped estrogen at 10 weeks and stayed on endometrin until 12 weeks. I saw my midwife for the first time at 11 weeks.

[gsancho]

My RE stopped seeing me at 8 weeks. I think the estrogen stopped at 8 weeks, too. Progesterone kept going until 12 weeks but I switched to oral progesterone after 8 weeks. Some go a lot longer, though. I felt like I was coming off meds kinda early, but I was so sick of them, I tried not to worry about it too much.

[Deleted]

I stopped seeing my RE at 10 weeks. That's also when I stopped the PIO shots.
Every RE seems to be different in their approach with this so I wouldn't worry.

[vballbaby]

Feb 7, 2015 10:08:45 GMT -5 gsancho said:

My RE stopped seeing me at 8 weeks. I think the estrogen stopped at 8 weeks, too. Progesterone kept going until 12 weeks but I switched to oral progesterone after 8 weeks. Some go a lot longer, though. I felt like I was coming off meds kinda early, but I was so sick of them, I tried not to worry about it too much.

Hey just curious, were you on Crinone first and then switched to oral? I would like to do that if they want me to go longer than the 8 weeks because I hate the mess of crinone.  How did the oral stuff make you feel, any different?

[sunshinedaisies]

I only saw my RE once after positive betas - at 7w2d, and she would have only seen me at 6+4 but I couldn't make it in town (also 2000 miles from me RE). After that, I was released to my OB, although she told me if the OB couldn't see me until 12 weeks, my RE would do a "filler" appt for peace of mind.

I was on meds until 10+4, but I started bleeding when I quit PIO, so I switched to oral progesterone for another 2 weeks and then quit with no problems.

vballbaby, I have no experience with crinone, but the oral progesterone was a peace of cake compared to PIO and I noticed no complications from it. It didn't make me feel weird or off at all.

[bears1011]

I was officially released at 11 weeks but they gave me instructions on the dates they wanted me to wean off progesterone. I was on the suppositories until 15 weeks, a little longer than normal because of bleeding issues. At 13 weeks I went down to twice a day and at 14 weeks once a day and stopped at 15 weeks. I has my first OB appt at 8 weeks so I overlapped for a few weeks.

[SweetieShellie]

my clinic wants all meds to continue until the end of the 11th week (so I guess the start of the 12th week). From what I read, the placenta takes over progesterone production around week 10. I haven't asked yet when they'll kick me out lol. I imagine when the 11th week ends?

[viola]

I saw my RE for the last time around 9 weeks for an ultrasound due to pain.
They continued with blood draws until 12 weeks, which is when I stopped the PIO/estrogen/baby aspirin. They considered me "graduated" at this point, I don't even think I got the call for the last blood draw (I just checked my patient portal).
I saw my midwife for the first time just after 12w. My first appointment with an OB/MW probably would have been sooner if I didn't drag my feet on the issue. I really would have preferred my RE do my OB care. MH and I loved him and the staff there.

[purpledaisy923]

I was released by my RE at 8 weeks, after 3 ultrasounds. They had me continue PIO shots until I was 10 weeks. 11 weeks is when I first saw my OB.

[gsancho]

Feb 7, 2015 11:09:38 GMT -5 vballbaby said:

Feb 7, 2015 10:08:45 GMT -5 gsancho said:

My RE stopped seeing me at 8 weeks. I think the estrogen stopped at 8 weeks, too. Progesterone kept going until 12 weeks but I switched to oral progesterone after 8 weeks. Some go a lot longer, though. I felt like I was coming off meds kinda early, but I was so sick of them, I tried not to worry about it too much.

Hey just curious, were you on Crinone first and then switched to oral? I would like to do that if they want me to go longer than the 8 weeks because I hate the mess of crinone.  How did the oral stuff make you feel, any different?

Yes, actually!  I did PIO until my 2nd beta, then they had me do the vagina insertions, and then at 8 weeks the pills.  I never really asked why they switched me up so much...

[vballbaby]

Feb 7, 2015 15:29:54 GMT -5 SweetieShellie said:

my clinic wants all meds to continue until the end of the 11th week (so I guess the start of the 12th week). From what I read, the placenta takes over progesterone production around week 10. I haven't asked yet when they'll kick me out lol. I imagine when the 11th week ends?

I'm definitely asking why they'd want to stop me at 8 weeks if that's the case, why risk it? Unless they test progesterone and see that it's plenty. My last one was around 20 and I feel like that's a bit low.  I guess this will be my research for tonight

[julie216]

My RE released me after my 9 week appointment. I was to stop estrace suppositories at 10 weeks. I had some left
over so I continued till 11 weeks. I saw my MFM at 11 weeks and my OB at 13.

[daydreamernyc]

My last RE appt was at about 9 weeks and then I was fully off of everything by 10.5 weeks. I was told to set an OB appt after my last RE appt but I went at 8.5 weeks. I've been with my OB for years and just felt more comfortable with that

[Deleted]

As long as my U/S at week 7 is okay then my RE has me stop taking my meds (patches and progesterone). Which after seeing SweetieShellie comment I'm wondering if I should question that. But it could be because at that point they release me to my OB.